Woman accused of murder held without bail

By Douglas McCulloch | Jul 05, 2017

A Dartmouth woman allegedly connected to a Florida murder will remain behind bars in Massachusetts for now.

Desiree Tedder, a 23-year-old woman facing a second degree murder charge in Florida, is currently being held on a fugitive from justice warrant in Massachusetts. At her arraignment on July 5 in New Bedford District Court, Tedder was ordered to be held without bail after she opted not to waive extradition to Florida.

Because Tedder did not voluntarily choose to be returned to the southern state, Florida officials must now go through a formal legal process to have her returned.

Tedder was arrested on June 28 in Massachusetts after Florida officials charged her in connection to the disappearance and death of 23-year-old Drulmauert Mims of Pensacola, Florida.

Mims was reported missing on March 29 from his Pensacola home. His car was found unlocked and unoccupied, parked on a Pensacola street on April 1. His body was found buried in the backyard of a Florida home on June 28.

Tedder's attorney, John J. Connors, said after the arraignment there are still many unknowns in her case he is seeking answers to, including how Florida officials connected Tedder to Mims’ death. She also needs established representation in Florida, he said.

Florida officials are in the process of filing for a governor’s warrant, according to Chief Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille. His office is compiling fingerprints, charging documents, and other case information that will be included in the warrant.

Once certified, the documents will be passed on to Florida's governor for approval. If approved, Florida’s attorney general will send the documents to Massachusetts’ attorney general to begin the extradition process.

The whole process must be completed within 30 days, but Marcille said it can be extended to up to 90 days if needed.

In a previous interview, Florida State Attorney Bill Eddins said his office intended to return her to Florida by the end of last week if Tedder chose to waive extradition. At that time, Eddins said information detailing Tedder's relationship to Mims and how investigators connected her to Mims’ death were not being released.

Marcille said there is a possibility that additional case details need to be included in the governor’s warrant. It is not currently clear what those details are, and how they would affect the case.

Tedder’s next court appearance in is scheduled for August 7 at New Bedford District Court.